If I had a pound...
Today I was reading one of those posts on Instagram that, the ones that promise you a million followers and the secret formula to overnight social success. (Don’t believe them by the way, there’s no such things add overnight success, just a lot of hard work).
Where was I?? Oh yes, so this post, it was suggesting things to post about to get interactions, one of the items on the list was: post about the one thing you get asked the most. That made me of something a potential new client said to me this week. It’s not a question, it’s more the one thing I hear the most from clients...
“I know I need help but I’m not sure what with and someone recommended I speak to you”
This has to be the single common factor between all my clients, and actually anyone I’ve ever had a consultation with: overwhelm. They all know they need help but they have no idea where to start, what to give to, who to give it to, how to let go.
Sometimes as I’m sat there, listening to clients talk about their businesses I can see easily solution is but more often than not it takes more than one conversation and these are the steps I personally go through, to help clients unravel their overwhelm and to understand their next steps:
The Process
Look at the everyday. Take a normal day, not one where you interrupted by irate customers or distracted by a webinar but your standard process for your day to day business. Think about every step and why you do what you do- is there duplication? Is there manual intervention when it could be automated? Is there sign off where you could leave others responsibility for the decisions?
Often these areas are where bottlenecks and frustrations occur in business do they’re easy to spot but sometimes you honestly don’t see them as you’re too close to it all and because this is the way you’ve always done things.
If you’re reviewing do it dispassionately, this is not about what makes comfortable, it’s about what is the best process!
The People
For a lot of people, knowing you need help and being able to let go are two very different things. There are three types of repetitive task (broadly speaking) and you need to understand which types all the tasks you do are:
Repeated admin tasks that require attention to detail but no customer contact
Repeated tasks that require customer contact in a way that can be taught
Repeated tasks that require your special skills, knowledge or personal touch
The first are way to hand over, the third impossible (until you’ve done this next bit) and the second... well the second requires something really important- Trust.
So many business owners have grown their businesses themselves that thought handing over any part of that really scary. I try to mitigate this by building relationships, by doing test tasks (like dummy replies to emails or example spreadsheets) to help put their minds at rest.
Without trust you’ll never be able to hand over the third types of tasks and you’ll never be able to get out from the overwhelm and into calmer territory.
The Pain
I’m not going to beat around the bush here, change is hard. Especially if the way you do things is a process or a spreadsheet or a method that you’ve developed from your own experience running a successful business. And there’s nothing wrong with that, it works, you are successful and your business is growing.
However, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t another way. Independently doing your invoices on a spreadsheet might be quick and easy and your mileage through an app simple; but if both need to go into your accounts at year end maybe using one system for both makes more sense.
Often it takes another, outside pair of eyes to suggest efficiencies and suggest ways that you can save time, effort or frustration. That doesn’t always have to be a ‘professional’, a friend can help too, it’s called perspective. When you know where you can make changes don’t be scared, it might be the best thing you ever do!
Now, all of this is with the benefit of experience, of hearing business owners mutter those words but knowing you’re overwhelmed is the first step on this path, going through the above is the next. And if this still seems like too much then get someone in to help - it’ll be worth it in the long run.